Drier apparatus



DRIER APPARATUS 5 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Oct. 22. 1962 -I'wl M.. ww @wk s M L m ww( @C 9 l Q Q( L.. WP J. U A 1 F j n f NN ww@ All@ 16, 1966 M. J. mism/.m Emi- 3,266,171

DRIER APPARATUS 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 Filed Oct. 22. 1962 DDU u wwmmhw Fain L mw nm n\ -ml mm N hm,

United States Patent O 3,266,171 DRIER APPARATUS Maurice J. Erisman, Galt Parli, and Leonard M. Kaczmarski, Chicago, Ill., assignors to Link-Belt Company, a corporation of Illinois Filed Oct. 22, 1962, Ser. No. 232,141 6 Claims. (Cl. 34-164) j This invention relates generally to driers of the iluidized bed type and more particularly Ito a new and improved material bed supporting structure `for use within a drier of this type.

In the p-ast, materials have been dried by depositing them through a .feed chute into a drier chamber. The moist material entered a bed which was supported upon a perforated plate or other suitable constriction assemfbly, and was iluidized and dried by a stream of hot air passing upwardly through the drier in a known manner. The dried material was discharged through a suitable opening from the drier chamber.

In many applications, especially when drying relatively small particle size materials having a high moisture content, some of the material would cake on the constriction assembly and would not be iluidized so that it could not pass through the discharge opening with the bulk of the dried material. As a result of this caking, some materials remained in the drier and were subjected to a prolonged heating and eventual ignition within the drier. t

It is, therefore,` the primary object of the present invention to provide a new and improved constriction plate assembly for a drier apparatus to prevent caking and prolonged heating of material within the drier.

Another object of this invention is to provide a drier `.constriction assembly providing movable material supporting members to prevent material strom caking within the drier and ultimately igniting..

Another object of this invention is to provide a drier including a movable material bed supporting structure which will prevent caking of material thereon and which will provide a constant area for the flow of drying gas therethrough.

Other obje-cts and advantages will be apparent during the course of the following description.

In the accompanying drawings forming a part of this specification, and in which like reference characters are employed to designate like parts throughout the same:

FIGURE 1 is a side elevational view orf a drier including the constriction rod assembly of the present invention;

FIGURE 2 is a horizontal sectional view showing the constriction rod assembly of the present invention taken on lines 2-2 of FIG. 1;

FIGURE 3 is an enlarged fragmentary sectional view taken on lines 3-3 of FIG. 2;

FIGURE 4 is an enlarged fragmentary sectional view y taken on lines 4-4 of FIG. 2 and illustrating the rod carriers of FIG. 2;

' i FIGURE 5 is an enlarged fragmentary sectional View taken on lines 5-5 of FIG. 2; and

FIGURE 6 is an enlarged fragmentary sectional view taken on lines 6-6 of FIG. 2.

-In the drawings :wherein for the pur-pose of illustration is shown a preferred embodiment of the invention and first particularly referring to FIG. l there is illustrated a drier 10 including an elongated housing portion 12 defining a drying chamber the-rein and having a material feed chute 14 at one end thereof and a material discharge chute 16 at its other end. An access door 18 is mounted upon the side of the housing 12. Hot air enters the drier chamber through the bottom 19 of the housing 12 to iluidize the bed of material within the chamice ber. The air is exhausted through a suitable vent (not shown) formed at the top 21 o-f the housing 12. The drier 10 is mounted upon a base 20.

The constriction rod assembly of the present invention, indicated generally by the reference numeral 22 is positioned within the drier 10. The assembly 22 includes a plurality of parallel rods 24 movably disposed upon spaced rod carrier assemblies 26 within the housing 12. One end portion of each rod 24 p-rotrudes outwardly from the housing 12 and is drivingly connected to a reciprocating channel assembly 28. The details of this connection are hereinafter set forth in the description of FIGS. 3 and 5. As illustrated in FIGS. 2 and 3, an arm 30 is pivotally connected at one e-nd to channel assembly 28 and is eccentrically connected at its other end to a wheel 32. The wheel 32 is mounted upon a shaft 34 which is drivingly connected to a motor 36. The motor 36 is mounted upon a base 37 which is positioned adjacent t-he housing 12.

The constriction rod assembly 22, as seen in FIG. 2, includes elongated parallel rods 24 which are supported at their opposite end portions by plates 38 and 39 having holes therethrough for receiving the rods and at intermediate points by the rod carrier assemblies 26. Each of the rods 24 has an end portion extending t-hrough the slot 40 in the end wall of the housing 12 and through the plate 38 and alternate rods have their end portions 27 down'turned and intervening rods have their end portions 25 up-turned outside the end wall. T-he end portions 25 and 27 of the rods 24 are operatively connected to the channel assembly 28, which is described below in the detailed description of FIG. 3.

A-s illustrated in FIGS. 2,4 4 and 5, each rod carrier assembly 26 includes flanged brackets 42 fixed upon the opposite inner side Walls of the housing 12. Each of `the brackets 42 has a rocker support 44 mounted between its ilanges `for pivotal movement about a pin 45 and a stop 46 is mounted between the anges to limit pivotal movement of the rocker support. Extending between each pair oi' brackets 42 is a pair of spaced support rails 50. The ends of the rails 50 rest upon the supports 44 and the rails are connected at spaced points along their lengths by cross members 51 having notches rfo'rmed in their upper edges for a purpose that will be later described. `Longitudinal expansion of the rails 50 is therefore accommodated since the rails are shorter than the distance .between the inner side Walls of the housing 12.

A pair of roller assemblies are provided between the ends of the r-ails 5l) as seen in FIGS. 4 and 5. Each rol-ler assembly includes a pair of rollers 52 which are rotatably mounted on bolts 53 extending between the rails 50. The rollers are separated by a divide-r plate S4 that is mounted on and extends upwardly from spaced bars ,55 which ex- -tend between and are connected to the bottom edges of the rails 50. Three rod support plates 56 are arranged in staggered relationship between and extending longitudinally along the rails 50, the two side plates having the opposite end portions of their bottom edges resting on a support 44 and one roller 52 of the adjacent roller assembly and the cen-ter plate having the opposite end portions oi its bottom edge resting on the other rollers of the two roller assemblies. The plates 56, as seen in FIG. 4, have spaced notches 57 in their upper edges to receive and support the rods 24. The bottom edges of the plates 56 are notched to fit into the notches in the cross members 51 which thereby support and limit longitudinal movement of the plates. Lateral displacement of the rod support plates 56 is restricted by spacer members 58 which are mounted upon the inner sides of the inner sides of the rails 50 above the rollers 52. The limited clearance between the members 58 and divider plate 54 and the rod su-ppor-t plate 56 positioned therebetween will maintain the plate 56 in an upright position.

The parallel rods 24 are movably dispose-d within the notches 57 and the holes in the plates 38 and 39 to pivot about t-heir own axes as a result of movement of the channel assembly 28. As shown in FIGS. 3 and 6, the turned end portions 25 of alternate rods 24 are loosely confined between the spacer bolts 617 and the flanges orf yan inverted channel member `66 and the end portions -27 are similarly confined between bolts 67 and an upwardly facing lower channel member 68. The members 66 and 68 have their outer flanges connected by means of vertically arranged connecting members 69 and 70 and the ends of the members 66 and 68 adjacent the dnive lare connected by a drive bracket 7&1. The channel members 66 and 68 have guide bars 72 mounted on their upper and lower surfaces respectively, for engaging flanged rollers 73 to 4guide the reciprocating movement of the ch-annel assembly 28. The rollers 73 are mounted on the top andbotmm walls of a frame 74 that is rigidly connected to the end wall of the housing 12.

The channel assembly 28 reciprocates within the frame 74 upon the rollers 73 in response to movement of the arm 30 which is eccentrically connected at one end to the wheel 32. The individual end portions 2S and 27 of the parallel rods 24 being loosely confined between the spacer bolts 67 and the anges of the upper and lower channel members 66 and 68 will be caused to move with the channel assembly 2S. This movement of the end portions 25 and 27 will cause the alternate rods 24 to rotate concurrently in opposite directions and each reversal in the direction of movement of the channel assembly 28 will cause all of the rods concurrently to reverse the direction of their rotation. The opposed rotation of `adjacent rods 24 prevents material from caking upon the rods during operation of the drier 10.

vWe have illustrated and described what I now consider to be the preferred embodiment of our invention. It will be understood, however, that various alterations and modifications may be made without departing from the spiritof the invention and the scope of the subjoined claims.

Having thus described the invention, what we claim is:

1. In a drier apparatus, a material bed supporting assembly comprising a plurality of elongated members supported in spaced parallel relationship for rotary movement about their longitudinal axes, and means drivingly connected to said members to rotate .alternate members in opposite directions and to periodically reverse the direction of rotation of all of the members.

2. In a drier including a housing having a material feed and a discharge chute and hot air inlet and exhaust ports, a material lbed supporting assembly positioned between said inlet and exhaust ports and comprising a plurality of rods rotatably supported in spaced parallel relationship with each other and means drivingly connected to said rods to reciprocate concurrently alternate .rods-in opposite directions about their longitudinal axes.

v3. In a drier apparatus, a material bed supporting assembly comprising support means within said drier, a plurality of rods supported on said support means in spaced parallel relationship, alternate ones of said rods having drive portions bent in opposite directions from the plane of the rods, and drive means mounted for reciprocating movement and operatively connected to the outer ends of said drive portions of the rods to impart concurrent reciprocating movement to alternate rods in opposite directions about their longitudinal axes whereby material Within the drier is prevented from caking upon the assembly.

4, 'In a drier apparatus, a material bed supporting assembly comprising a plurality of support plates arranged laterally of said bed and having longitudinally alined notches formed in the upper edges thereof, a plurality of rods positioned in said notches to rest upon said frame in spaced parallel relationship, a plate at each end of said assembly having holes therethrough for receiving said rods to hold said rods in said notches, alternate ones of said rods having their end portions adjacent and outwardly of one of said rod holding plates bent upwardly and downwardly to provide drive portions, and means for reciprocating the outer ends of said drive portions to reciprocate said rods upon said support and holding plates, adjacent rods being reciprocated in opposite directions about their own longitudinal axes.

5. In a drier apparatus, a material bed supporting assembly comprising a plurality of rod carrying plates extending transversely of said bed and supported for limited longitudinal expansion and contraction thereof, each of said carrying plates having a plurality of longitudinally spaced notches formed in its upper edge, a rod pivotally disposed within each of said notches, means associated with opposite end portions of said rods for restricting movement thereof to retain the rods in said notches in spaced parallel relationship with each other, each of said rods having a bent end portion, alternate rods being positioned with their bent end portions extending upwardly and downwardly, a reciprocating drive member having separate recesses for receiving said downturned end portions, a second reciprocating drive member having separate recesses for receiving said upturned end portions, means rigidly connecting said drive members, and means for reciprocating said drive members to cause the rods with said upturned end portions to pivot axially in one direction and the rods with said downturned end portions to pivot axially in the opposite direction.

6. In a drier apparatus including a housing having a hot air inlet opening in the bottom portion thereof and an exhaust opening at the top portion thereof and having a feed chute `at one end and a discharge chute at the opposite end, a material bed supporting assembly mounted within said housing (between said inlet and exhaust openings and in a position to receive material from said feed chute and discharge ymaterial to said discharge chute, said assembly comprising a plurality of supports spaced longitudinally of the housing and extending transversely thereof, a plurality of rod carriers mounted on said supports for limited expansion and contraction and extending substantially between the inner side walls of said housing, a plurality of rods supported on said carriers and extending longitudinally of said housing, said rod carriers having means for maintaining said rods in spaced parallel relationship across said housing while permitting =longi tudinal expansion and contraction thereof, means associated with corresponding end portions of said rods at one end of -said housing for imparting concurrent reciprocating pivotal movement to said rods upon said carriers with adjacent rods being pivoted in opposite directions about their own longitudinal axes.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 721,421 2/1903 Carnochan 209-396 1,251,146 12/1917 Ward 110-35 FOREIGN PATENTS 449,270 1927 Germany.

FREDERICK L. MATTESON, In., Primary Examiner.

NORMAN YUDKOFF, WILLIAM F. ODEA,

Examiners.

F. DRUMMOND, C. R. REMKE, Assistant Examiners. 

2. IN A DRIER INCLUDING A HOUSING HAVING A MATERIAL FEED AND A DISCHARGE CHUTE AND HOT AIR INLET AND EXHAUST PORTS, A MATERIAL BED SUPPORTING ASSEMBLY POSITIONED BETWEEN SAID INLET AND EXHAUST PORTS AND COMPRISING A PLURALITY OF RODS ROTATABLY SUPPORTED IN SPACED PARALLEL 